I am really fortunate that I work with the same sets of developers regularly, so have time to build relationships with them, I know that not everyone is in this position.
I therefore make sure I reach out and say morning to them, and get to know them. Yes I have even in the past had to make notes on what they say so I can pick up and responded use this information next time I speak to them.
I also make sure that I give feedback to them when I think that they have done something really well.
Over time I have managed to get some of them to even demo things to me before they put their code up for code review.
Most importantly though I never make any ‘bug’ personal and keep it really factual.
I like how we can use oracles to support our findings. And also to help us differentiate from our facts surrounding a bug and are own opinions of what might have caused it and/or suggestions for improvements.
Early on in my career, I tended to shy away from sharing ideas, cos I thought it wasn’t my place to offer suggestions. Yet using oracles to say “here’s what I discovered” and “here’s some thoughts on it” has been super helpful. The separation of the two is powerful.
This question is very dear to my heart as someone who wears both hats freely in primarily development roles. I’m at the point now where I feel I can talk to both groups as an “insider” and I’ve worked very hard in my career trying to break down the divisions. I actually really hate the developer vs tester culture that still hangs around these days but that’s gotten much better. I’ve spent a lot of time on the ground with juniors and seniors promoting that the “other side” is your friend. I’ve spent a lot of time encouraging learning the “other side” either through doing or starting a job shadow program in the case of one tricky enterprise company.
Being polite, positive, patient, proactive, planned, calm, question when things are not clear, be ready to except new challenges, eager to learn, always approachable, accept and learn from mistakes as no one is perfect. Developing these skills will foster good communication, earn trust and keep the relationship with the team healthy.
First of all we need to know each other. Being friendly, not to rush or force to do something. Knowing if we ask or need help when they are not busy. No need to blame each other or feel like we are better than other. Have a chit chat not just about work, can be hobbies, musics, games, films, etc. QA and developers need each other, so need to work together as a team.